I'm shocked that they said "no children in wheelchairs allowed in the shop anymore!" What person (or business) would think this is in any way acceptable?

As far as displays are concerned, we've struggled with DS2's wheelchair in shops (just as some I imagine struggle with pushchairs). The combination of narrow aisles and displays is just ridiculous. Combine that with busy Christmas shopping, and it's never easy to get through a shop without bumping into someone or something.

They retracted that she wasn't allowed in the shop and said she could use the shop if she was being pushed manually and was going slowly. They should have just said that in the first place, as its a fair compromise.

Poor girl, that's terrible. I find a lot of shops difficult just with a stroller so can only imagine how frustrating it must be with a wheelchair. There should be some sort of industry guidelines re aisle clearances for access. M&s is a terrible offender, and looking at it from their perspective, they should realise that a shop looks a million times better, easier to navigate and find stuff for anyone not just those using wheels, if it is laid out properly. Mary portas never leaves small spaces and displays in the middle of floors!

She should be allowed in the shop whetehr she's been pushed or whether she's operating the wheelchair hersself - its illegal to say any different. If there's been an incident the could perhaps suggest that she's pushed as the aisles are narrow but even that's a bit shit.

My dd tripped when little and flattened the pick and mix stand in our local co-op. Smashed it to bits. We weren't banned!

I dunno, DH & I were discussing how small the shops are in our town (rural old market). Can't get a pram in many, either. The town is dying on its feet (rapidly losing retailers). No money to invest to make each shop unit larger & cater to modern needs. There has to be room for compromise or towns like ours are going to suffer even more.

There's a difference between small local shops in old / listed buildings where it's impossible to make modifications to the layout, vs a co-op. I have never seen a really tiny one, they are small supermarkets? With control over their shelving and display unit layouts?

Agree with RikersBeard about the need for guidelines re aisle clearances for access. One of our local (in)convienience stores has aisles so narrow that I can't go around it with DS in his pushchair. I have to leave him at the end of the aisles and race up and down the shelves if I ever need to go in that shop. It would be impossible for anyone in a wheelchair.

Mm, I have to say that there were occasions when dd2 was little in her wheelchair or using her walker that I used discretion and didn't enter stores where she would inadvertently wreak carnage - because of the completely inadequate nature of their store layout - overstocked and too narrow for disabled access.

A store deliberately turning my kid away, however, would have had the wrath of satan on their head.

Misunderstanding, indeed.

Mind you, dd2 could knock over stands in freaking waitrose, in a ten foot wide aisle. <sigh> her particular variety of cp meant that she was given a manual wheelchair, but the pattern of her movement meant that her arm motion caused her head to bow, so if she was pushing or steering, she automatically couldn't see where she was going. She was 'too able' for a power chair, which would have meant she could actually see where she was going.

Shameful behaviour by the store but I hope that as more and more stupid organisations that don't seem to have noticed the DDA are challenged, even the most dense will eventually realise they can't get away with treating disabled people like scum.